The present invention generally relates to the use of an interactive marketing network. More specifically, the present invention relates to the interactive use by service providers and consumers of electronic certificates over online networks.
Increasingly, consumers are gaining direct access to data bases for information and entertainment, whether through phone lines and coaxial cable or by wireless connections from cell systems and satellites. With this so-called “online” access, consumers can use data bases for a range of activities at virtually any time. Besides granting freedom to the consumer, online access gives added efficiencies to companies merchandising products and services, whether those products are sold directly to the consumer by mail or in a store.
At the same time, various types of transactions are currently consummated using certificates such as coupons, tickets, etc. These certificates typically contain data (referred to in the claims as “transaction data”) describing the particular transaction (e.g., in the case of a coupon, the transaction data would include a product description, the coupon amount, and the expiration date). These certificates also typically contain data (referred to in the claims as “identification data”) such as various numbers, letters, barcodes or other symbols sufficient-to uniquely identify each certificate.
The need arises for creation of an online “electronic certificate” that can be used for promotional or transactional purposes, much as coupons have been used in such traditional marketing vehicles as newspapers and mail packs. Beyond offering a discount as an incentive to buy a feature product, the coupon is also currency, printed in quantities limited by the issuer and often carrying unique serial numbers, expiration dates and “source codes” which indicate the means by which it was distributed (e.g. newspaper, mail list, in-store dispenser, etc.), so issuers can track the effectiveness of each marketing medium.
Known coupon dispensing systems, for example, fail to interactively communicate between a service center and a third party, as pointed out in U.S. Pat. No. 5,303,197 to Axler. While the Axler patent permits an operator to periodically “visit” a dispensing machine, this does not allow “real time” interactivity (e.g., it does not permit the operator to access and analyze demographical data contemporaneous with its input). Nor does Axler (or any other known prior art systems) envision the creation of an online “electronic certificate,” as will be described below.
A data processing system and method according to the present invention successfully emulates the attributes of a coupon over an online network (i.e., an “electronic coupon” is created). Moreover, given the direct access to consumers, the data processing system exceeds the capabilities of traditional coupons by providing issuers a greater degree of control in targeting the offer, restricting its use and tracking both the selection and redemption process. The data processing system's controls also make it possible for service providers, such as restaurants and hotels, to use an online electronic certificate as a promotional means and a way to lower overhead in providing such transactions as dining, travel and ticket reservations.